Intel Corp. this week quietly added two new relatively affordable microprocessors into the lineup. The quad-core processor is likely to eventually substitute previous-generation chips with four cores, whereas the new dual-core product brings the Core 2 Duo brand to the territory of the Pentium dual-core processors, which may mean that in several months time the company will further expand the Core 2 family into the value market segment.

The new microprocessors from Intel are Core 2 Duo E5200 as well as Core 2 Quad Q8200, which are both made using 45nm fabrication process. The new products can hardly open-up performance heights for typical end-users, but are likely to become popular among enthusiasts of overclocking since they work at relatively low clock-speeds – 2.50GHz and 2.33GHz, respectively – and have comparatively high overclocking potential thanks to 45nm process technology.